A case of alleged embezzlement of public funds is shaking the traditional chieftaincy of Buea, in the Southwest region of Cameroon. Traditional chiefs have filed a complaint with the gendarmerie, accusing one of their own, Etuge Augustin, of unduly retaining a sum of 3 million FCFA. This money was received during a courtesy visit to the new President of the National Assembly, Theodore Datouo, in Yaoundé.
According to the complaint, consulted by MMI News, the delegation of traditional chiefs was received by Theodore Datouo shortly after his installation as head of the National Assembly. At the end of this meeting, a sum of three million FCFA was given to the delegation, intended to be shared among the various chiefs present. However, Ikome Philip Mokwa, president of the Buea Chiefs' Conference, accuses Etuge Augustin of keeping all of this money for himself.
In his correspondence addressed to the commander of the Southwest Gendarmerie Legion, Ikome Philip Mokwa explains that a meeting had been arranged in a hotel in Yaoundé to distribute the funds. Etuge Augustin allegedly did not show up for this meeting and cut short any attempts to contact him. "When he was reached by telephone, he declared that we could do nothing against him and that he had taken all the money," Ikome Philip Mokwa recounts in his complaint.
The situation reportedly left the other members of the delegation in a precarious financial situation, unable to pay their accommodation costs or arrange their return to Buea. "Sir, this situation has left us stranded in Yaoundé. No money to pay for our hotel rooms, no means of transport to return to Buea. God only knows how we managed to get back," the complaint states. The complaining chiefs are asking the authorities to intervene so that the sum can be returned and fairly shared.
This case highlights internal tensions within the traditional chieftaincy of Buea. Beyond the financial issue, it reveals a power struggle and a lack of transparency in the management of current affairs. The investigation opened by the gendarmerie will have to determine the responsibilities and clarify the exact circumstances of this case. The people of Buea are awaiting clarification on this matter, which tarnishes the image of the traditional institution.
